


watermelon bubblegum

by nsofties



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Convenience Store, College, Mentioned Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun, Mentioned Kim Dongyoung | Doyoung, Mentioned Nakamoto Yuta
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-28
Packaged: 2020-02-09 06:06:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18632332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nsofties/pseuds/nsofties
Summary: Taeyong tastes like watermelon bubblegum and springtime breezes.Or, Johnnythinkshe does, at least.





	watermelon bubblegum

**Author's Note:**

> just a short little bit for those of you who love johnyong.

Johnny abhors the overnight shift at the convenience store. Despite that, he works it every weekend - anything to save up enough money for textbooks and groceries. And, in all honesty, it’s a nice part-time job - it helps a little with the bills of his apartment and gets him enough ramen to last a few weeks. There’s its fair share of odd characters that show up here and there, but Johnny tends to look more imposing with his six-foot-something frame when he stands up from his chair and says their total.

He restocks the displays throughout the evening and, like clockwork, two in the morning arrives and a petite figure makes their way through the automatic doors. His hair is a different color this time - an ashy mix of brown and gray that shouldn’t look flattering on anyone, but does on him. He’s swallowed by a large sweater and he shimmies his hands to free them as he meanders through the aisles, as if lost in a gigantic department store.

Johnny watches, amused, as he picks up the entire box of bubble gum he just set out. The half-empty box that would usually be there is beside him, tucked under the counter. It’s watermelon flavor and Johnny would want to roll his eyes and make fun of the shopper for his childish tastes if he didn’t always turn to him with shimmering doe eyes that made Johnny want to throw himself to the ground and cry.

There’s not really a transaction - Johnny’s already got the barcode input twenty-three times and the grateful, albeit sheepish, smile the shopper throws him makes it worthwhile.

“See you Tuesday, Taeyong.”

“... Yeah. See you Tuesday.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Johnny watches him enter lecture on Tuesday, Yuta dozing off in the chair beside him. Taeyong pops in a piece of watermelon bubblegum only to spit it out at the end of lecture, popping in another one. Johnny knows that gum’s flavor doesn’t last the longest, but he’s sure it lasts longer than a 50-minute class period.

It’s not something he really chooses to dwell on, though, shrugging before heading over to the writing center. A cring and a violent shudder runs through his body as he sees how jam-packed his schedule is. He meets with countless students and is convinced the word _because_ is fake by the time he drags himself into his dorm. Joshua peers at him pitifully before going back to watering the countless plants decorating their shared space.

“I had to help a student with their paper today. They used the word because in every single sentence.”

“Every single one? That’s kind of impressive, isn’t it?”

“It would be if I didn’t have to read it,” groans Johnny. He rests his head against his bedpost as Joshua regards him with a nod. “I thought I was reading a totally different language after a while. It was tortuous.”

“I’d imagine. I like my job at the student store.”

“It doesn’t pay as much as the writing center, though. Plus, you get less hours at the student store.”

“True. It’s why I had to pick up that second job at the café.”

“How’s that? I almost applied.”

“I hate my life.”

“Good on ya.”

Conversation dies out there, Joshua leaving for his six pm lecture, Johnny buckling down on assignments.

Intermittently, however, his mind flits to the bubblegum boy.

He bets kissing him tastes like watermelon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

He’s back again and Johnny blinks a few times as he stares at his hair. It’s this vibrant shade of green that Johnny can say, without a doubt, would look ugly on anyone else. But Taeyong carries himself so carefully - has some underlying powerful charisma that Johnny thinks it suits the doe-eyed man who wanders through the store.

Tonight he places down the box of watermelon gum _and_ an energy drink. The new addition to his typical purchase makes Johnny raise an eyebrow, relishing in the way an embarrassed blush spreads across Taeyong’s face and down his neck.

“Midterm paper due Sunday night.”

“Oh, shit. I forgot.” Johnny looks at his stack of papers and sighs, realizing he forgot his readings for the analysis. “Well, whatever. I’ll get to that whenever I wake up later today.”

Taeyong smiles at him - this little smile, handing him a pack of gum before picking up his things and walking out.

Johnny thinks that the gum tastes like kissing Taeyong. Not that he’d know that.

Yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Johnny figures it out sooner than later, though. Cramped into a frat basement on one of his few weekends off. He’s never been a fan of Natty Light but when Taeyong hands him one and then two and then five and maybe some cups of that juice that was definitely 80% gin, Johnny isn’t as surprised as he should be to be lounging on a couch, Taeyong on his lap giggling into his neck. His hands feel heavy on Taeyong’s hips and he closes his eyes again until Joshua gets him to leave.

Their parting kiss tastes like watermelon. Johnny always hated that flavor - thought it was for kids. Now, though, he can say with confidence that it’s his favorite one.

And Johnny was drunk but Johnny never forgets which is why he comes into class late that Tuesday and, for the first time all semester, doesn’t sit next to Yuta. Instead, slides into the empty seat next to Taeyong, who turns to him with wide eyes before his mouth settles into a small smile.

Yuta tries to catch him on his way out, but Johnny shoots him a shrug over Taeyong’s head before following the green-haired man out of the lecture hall and across campus.

Even without gum, Taeyong tastes like watermelon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joshua gets him a shift in the school store. It’s not much - not a lot of hours, but it’s money, and Johnny can’t say no to that. He needs it, now that he and Taeyong are... _something_. Going-on-dates and making-out-in-their-dorms sort of something.

Johnny wonders what he’s been doing all his life while standing at the register, selling overpriced school merchandise to unsuspecting first year students, and then, for a moment, his mind drifts to Doyoung and Jaehyun. Just for a moment, though. Wondering if they’re together yet, if they’re happy. They should be in university now, he realizes.

Johnny holds himself back from asking his mom how they are.

Instead he calls home just to check in - to tell his mom he loves her and that classes are going okay, work’s going okay, life is going okay. He doesn’t mention Taeyong - not yet. Not when they’re just _something_ for now.

He blinks and Taeyong is tracing patterns onto his chest as Johnny reads Lang Leav out loud. It’s one of those things they do - lay in bed while Johnny reads poetry. It always lulls Taeyong to sleep and, eventually, Johnny. He wonders how exactly he’s ended up this lucky. Wonders when they’ll be more than something.

For now it’s just watermelon bubblegum and stolen kisses. But they have time. There’s no rush.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Johnny doesn’t think about it again until Taeyong is on the phone with his mom, Marie Kondo paused on his laptop.

“I’m with my boyfriend. Johnny, remember?”

He raises and eyebrow but smiles and shrugs, lettings his gaze wander around Taeyong’s spotless dorm.

Yeah, boyfriend sounds nice.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm pretty sure i wrote this on twitter but i can't find the thread.  
> find me here:  
> [twitter](https://twitter.com/nsofties)  
> [curious cat](https://curiouscat.me/nsofties)


End file.
